Wheel chair exercising adapter



Peb- 24, 1953 J. J. KoclAN ET AL 2,629,371

WHEEL CHAIR EXERCISING ADAPTER F'iled'July '7, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET l 6* l INVEzYToRs c//z C aczarz,

ATTO RN EYB Feb. 24, 1953 J. J. KoclAN ET AL WHEEL CHAIR EXERCISING ADAPTER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed July 7, 1950 :Wil a INVENTORS Q/Ofz c/ acz Warren ATTE RN EYB Patented Feb. 24, 1953 WHEEL CHAIR EXERCISING ADAPTER John J. Kocian and Warren H. Smith, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application July 7, 1950, Serial No. 172,518

(Cl. 12S-25) Claims.

This invention relates to attachments for wheel chairs of the type normally provided with hand rails or propelled by the occupant thereof, and in particular cams having eccentric slots therein mounted on the inner surfaces of wheels with rings journaled on the cams and having tabs connecting arm and foot rests to the rings with the arms connected through bell cranks with connecting links.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an exercising adaptor for Wheel chairs for inducing muscular development in limbs of persons alicted with certain paralytic or degenerative diseases or traumatic impairment and this is accomplished through regulated rocker action of the arm and leg rests of the chair.

Wheel chairs are normally provided with arm and foot rests and for some diseases and afictions it is desirable to exercise the arms and legs to stimulate circulation of Iblood through the afflicted parts and also to keep the muscles active. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates attachments for a wheel chair wherein means is provided for actuating the arm and foot rests as the chair travels.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means whereby a cam action is connected to arm and foot rests of wheel chairs whereby the arm and foot rests are actuated with a rocking action as a chair on which the device is installed is moved over a surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide cam actuated rocker action for arm and foot rests for Wheel chairs that may .be installed on chairs now in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a Wheel chair having cam actuated arm and foot rests which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in View the invention embodies cams with elongated slots therein bolted to the inner surfaces of the Wheels of a wheel chair with the arm and leg rests of the chair pivotally mounted and with means for connecting the cams to the arm and foot rests to provide rocking action in the said arm and foot rest as the chair travels over a surface.

ther features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view with the wheel on the near side of the chair omitted and with the shaft on which the Wheels are mounted shown in section, illustrating the adaptor mounted on a Wheel chair and connected to arm and foot rests thereof.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional View of the chair as shown in Figure 1 taken on line 2 2 thereof.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross section through the cam of one of the wheels of the chair showing the shaft of the wheel in the outer end of the slot.

Figure 4 is a vertical detail View showing a section through one of the arms of the chair taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a similar vertical detail View taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a vertical cross section taken on line 6 6 of Figure 1 showing the supporting Panels of the foot rests.

Figure 7 is a vertical detail view on an enlarged scale showing a section through the wheel shaft and looking toward the inner surface of the cam, said section being taken on line 'I--T of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal horizontal section through the mounting with the shaft in the cam being taken on line 8-8 of Figure 3.

This invention is an adaptor or an attachment for a wheel chair of the type having wheels mounted on the ends of an axle extended through the underpart of the chair structure and this invention adds cams adjustably mounted on the inner surfaces of the wheels and having rings traveling on the cams with the rings connected by tabs to pivotally mounted foot rests and connected by links to bell cranks which are connected to pivotally mounted arm rests. By this means the cams, one being positioned to coact with each wheel, are set so that as the chair is moved over the ground the arms and limbs of a person positioned inthe chair are actuated by the arms and foot rest of the chair to simulate movements of the body in walking.

A conventional wheel chair may be used with the cams mounted on the inner surfaces of the wheels and with rings slidably mounted on the cams and connected to foot rests and arms of the chair.

A cam I 0 on one side of the chair is provided With a ring II having a tab I2 thereof connected to a foot rest I3 and the tab I2 is connectedto a foot rest I4 by a link I5. The ring II is also provided with a tab I6 which is connected by a link I'I to a 4bell crank I8. The bell crank I3 is connected to a second bell crank I9 by a link 2B and the bell crank I9 is connected by a 'bent link 2I to an eye 22 on the under surface of an arm 23. The bell cranks I8 and I9 are provided with rows of spaced openings 11 in which the links may be positioned to regulate the movement of the arms.

y rThe arm 23 is pivotally connected to a back 24 of a chair having a seat 25 through an intermediate section 26 and the section 25 is pivotally connected by a hinge 21 to the back 24. The section 26 is connected to the main portion of the arm 23 b'y a hinge 28.

The bell cranks I8 and I9 are pivotally mounted on vertically positioned bars 'I3 and 14 with pins 15 and 16 and the arm rest 23 is connected to the pin 15 with an arm 5.

The cams I and 54 are provided with elongated slots 52 and 53, respectively and the cams are mounted on the shaft 46, on which the wheels 34 and 35 are also mounted with horse-shoe shaped fianges, as indicated by the numeral 29 and the anges are secured to the cams by screws 39 which are positioned in rows of openings 55. The shaft 46 extends through the slots 52 and 53 of lboth cams and as hereinbefore stated the wheels 34 and 35 are mounted on the ends of the shaft. The positions of the cams are adjusted in the slots 52 and 53 'by moving the flanges 29 so that the screws 39 are positioned in different openings. The flanges 29 are secured, preferably by welding to anges 32 of hubs 33 of the wheels 34 and 35. The welding between the flanges 29 and 32 is indicated by the numeral 3l as shown in Fig. 8.

The cam 54 is mounted on the wheel 35 with a flange 38, similar to the flange 32 of the wheel 34 and a ange 31 is welded to the flange 38 and secured by screws 30 to the cam 54. The cam '54 is provided with a ring 36, similar to the ring I I and the ring 36 is provided with a tab 39 similar to the tab I2.

The tab 39 is piv'o'tally connected by a pin 40 to a strut 42 of a foot rest 43 and the inner end of the foot rest is connected by a link 44 to the tab 39 with a pin 45 whereby the foot rest 43 is suspended from two points providing a swinging action.

The extended end of the foot rest 43 is pivotally mounted by a pin 65 on a base 63 and the foot rest 43 is connected by an arm 1I to a pin 45 in the inner part of the tab 39. By the same means a pin 4I extended from the tab I2 is positioned against the under surface of the back I3 of the foot rest I4 and the foot rest I4, the outer 'end of which is pivotally mounted on a base 62 by a pin 64 is provided with an arm 19 that is connected to the tab I2 by the rod I5. The foot rest I4 is provided with a heel rest 68 and a similar heel rest 69 is provided on the foot rest 43.

The' shaft 46 is journaled on the under surface of a platform 41, upon which the seat 25 is supported by posts 48 and 49 and the platform is supported at the back with a caster 50 having a wheel supported in a yoke I The cams I0 and 54 are provided with annular ribs or tongues 56 that extend into annular recesses 51 in the rings II and 36, respectively and the rings are provided with side plates 58 that are secured in position by screws 59.

The arm rest 18 on the opposite side of the chair is pivotally connected to the back 24 by a section 19 and the section 19 is connected to the arm rest 18 with a hinge 80 and to the back 24 with a hinge 8 I.

What is claimed is:

1. An exercising wheel chair comprising a seat having .a back, an axle upon which the forward end of the seat is mounted, a caster supporting the rear portion of the seat, wheels having hubs on the inner surfaces mounted on the ends of the axle, cams mounted on the hubs of the wheels and eccentrically positioned in relation to the axle, rings having laterally extending relatively spaced tabs positioned on the peripheries of the cams, foot rests hinged to the forward edge of the seat, arm rests hinged to the back of the seat, and means connecting the arm and foot rests to the tabs on the rings for actuating the arm and foot rests by the rings on the cams.

2. An exercising wheel chair comprising a seat having a back, `an axle upon which the forward end of the seat is mounted, a wheel for supporting the rear part of the seat, wheels mounted on the ends of the axle, cams mounted on the inner surfaces of the wheels and eccentrically positioned in relation to the axle, foot rests hinged to the forward edge of the seat, arm rests hinged to the back of the seat, and means connected to the arm and foot rests and coacting with the cam for actuating the arm and foot rests by rotation of the cams.

3. An exercising wheel chair comprising a seat having a back, an axle upon which the forward end of the seat is mounted, a wheel for supporting the rear part of the seat, wheels mounted on the ends of the axle, cams mounted on the inner surfaces of the wheels and eccentrically positioned in relation to the axle, foot rests hinged to the forward edge of the seat, arm rests hinged to the back of the seat, 'bell cranks pivotally mounted on the seat and connected to the arm rests, and means connected to the bell cranks and to the foot rests and coacting with the cam for actuating the foot rests and bell cranks of the arm rests by the rotation of the cams.

4. In an exercising wheel chair, the combination which comprises a seat having a back, an axle upon which the forward part of the seat is mounted, a wheel for supporting the rear portion of the seat, wheels having hubs on the inner surfaces mounted on the ends of the axle, cams having annular peripheral tongues mounted on the hubs of the wheels and eccentrically positioned in relation to the axles, rings having annular recesses therein receiving the tongues on the cams for journalling the rings on the cams, tabs on the outer surfaces of said rings. foot rests hinged to the forward edge of the seat, arm rests hinged through hinge sections at the rear ends thereof to the back of the seat, bell cranks pivotally mounted on the seat, a link connecting one of the bell cranks for actuating said arm and foot rests upon rotation of said cams on each side of the seat to the arm of the corresponding side of the seat, links connecting the 'bell cranks, and means connecting the tabs of the rings journaled on the cams to the foot rests and fbell cranks.

5. In an exercising wheel chair, the combination which comprises a seat having a back, an axle upon which the forward part of the seat is mounted, a wheel for supporting the rear portion of the seat, wheels having hubs on the inner surfaces mounted on the ends of the axle, cams having annular peripheral tongues mounted on the hubs of the wheels and eccentrically positioned in relation to the axles, rings having annular recesses therein receiving the tongues on the cams for journalling the rings on the cams, tabs on the cuter sur-faces of said rings, foot rests hinged to the forward edge of the seat, arm rests hinged through hinge sections at the rear ends REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,791,777 Webb Feb. 10, 1931 1,984,397 Dalyze Dec. 18, 1934 2,259,551 Burke Oct. 21, 1941 10 2,261,355 Flynn Nov. 4, 1941 

